Review - - A Merry Little Lie

A Merry Little Lie

by Sarah Morgan

Publisher: Canary Street Press

Release Date: October 7, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

 

This Christmas, the Balfour family will have more secrets to unwrap than presents…

Becky is stranded at the airport, so when she bumps into her brother’s best friend, Will, and he suggests they drive home together, Becky reluctantly agrees. For the first time, Becky is dreading Christmas, and only Will knows why. Can she trust him to keep her secret?

Her twin sister, Rosie, married Declan after a whirlwind romance, and now the cracks are starting to appear. Rosie and Declan have agreed to hide their problems from her family, but Rosie’s insecurities are growing. Will this Christmas bring them closer or drive them apart?

Hayley can’t wait for her first Balfour family Christmas with Jamie. The Balfour Christmas traditions sound wonderful, but she’s worried about her place in this close-knit family. Will there be room for her too? And how will they react to the secret she and Jamie have been keeping?

Despite everyone’s best intentions, all the chaos and confusion could derail their normally happy holidays. Can they tell each other the truth in time to enjoy a perfect family Christmas?

PJ's Thoughts:

I always look forward to reading Sarah Morgan's annual Christmas novel. In this year's book, A Merry Little Lie, we meet the Balfour family: mom, dad, grandparents, and three adult children (plus partners), all gathering for a family holiday celebration, possibly the last one where everyone is present. The grandparents are growing older and the adult children are pairing up so it's anyone's guess where they will all be next Christmas. It's a time of joy, uncertainty, surprises, celebrations, and struggles - a combination of emotions right up Morgan's alley. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Morgan has assembled three generations of characters and the assorted issues facing them at their various stages of life. I found all of them to be authentic, relatable, and easy to root for. Of course, there are messy family and couple situations and emotions to contend with which are handled flawlessly. The characters and their individual journeys are woven together into an intriguing family tapestry where each individual is given due attention while also being a balanced part of the whole. There's sibling tension, marital tension, holiday fun, meddling family members, humor, and romance to keep the story moving right up to a red-ribbon-wrapped, holiday happy ending. 

Reading this book felt like being an invited guest in the Balfour home and experiencing all of the heart-tugging interactions and emotions right along with the members of the family. I loved it. 

Review - - My Favorite Holidate

My Favorite Holidate

by Lauren Blakely

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: October 7, 2025

Reviewed by Santa

“Wanted: hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous by kissing me under the mistletoe at holiday parties. Bonus if you make him cry.”

To Fable’s surprise, her billionaire boss, Wilder Blaine, is more than willing to take on the challenge of playing her holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one for a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and she’s the maid of honor. With her ex also in the wedding party, the two team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season. Their partnership includes participating in the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.

What starts as late nights crafting the best popcorn balls for the contest soon turns into a passionate night together, where the sparks between them are impossible to ignore. But when the holidays end, can their winter wonderland romance turn into something real back at the office? Or are they destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s Day?

Santa Says:

Is it ever too early to read a holiday romance? In a word - NO! In fact, now is the perfect time of the year. The air is crisper. Halloween decorations have been out in the stores. Christmas ones can’t be too far behind. My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakley ticks all those boxes and a few others. Fake dating. Close proximity. Family fun in the Rockies with a little winter games competition. I could go on and on. Did I mention the precocious kid and the eccentric Auntie? A five star Christmas gift tied in a big red bow.

Our heroine Fable finds herself in need of a plus one for her sister’s magical Christmas Eve wedding. Her most recent boyfriend, Brady, cheated on her at a Thanksgiving dinner with the caterer! A real classy guy! But he is also going to be at the wedding because he is Leo’s cousin. Talk about awkward.

Her sister Charlotte and her fiance Leo are tying the knot with family and at Leo’s best friend’s cabins in the Rockies. Leo’s best friend and best man, Wilder, has a yearly holiday in the mountains. Wilder also happens to be Fable’s boss. Fable runs the merchandising department for Wilder’s professional football team. Fable loves a little bling and copious amounts of glitter - like a t-shirt cannon’s worth.

Wilder and Fable decide to pretend to be lovers. They need everyone, especially Brady, to believe they are a real couple. But the snow angels work their magic on the pair who were already attracted to one another. They just never acted on it because they never wanted the other person to feel awkward. A beautiful winter wonderland and close proximity from sharing one of the “cabins” work their magic, too. 

Their romance was supposed to end right after the holidays but their make believe romance quickly turns into the real thing! This book was a pleasure to read and so much fun! I was smiling from beginning to end! I highly recommend you pick up this holiday romance. You will not be disappointed!

Review - - To Heist and to Hold

To Heist and to Hold

by Christina Britton

Wimpole Street Widows Society - Book 1

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: September 30, 2025

Reviewed by PJ
 

A vigilante widow and a casino owner are both trying to bluff their way to a winning hand.

Heloise Marlowe has always forged her own path. As a former blacksmith and fencing instructor, she wasn’t just going to sit around knitting after her husband died. The Wimpole Street Widows Society, a secret group dedicated to balancing the scales of justice, was a much better fit for her skills. Her newest mission: seduce the owner of the club Dionysus and gain access to the den’s inner workings. She didn’t mind putting her body on the line, but she wasn’t prepared to gamble her heart.

Ethan Sinclaire has worked hard to clean up his club after the betrayal of his brother. But now, rumors are swirling that his club is just as crooked as before. He won’t let anyone destroy what he’s built, so when Heloise starts poking around, he decides to go all in, in hopes that she’ll show her hand. Enjoying her company is the easy part. Keeping himself from falling—that’s a whole different card game.

PJ's Thoughts:

Christina Britton launches her new historical romance series with an intriguing story of mystery, adventure, sensual romance, and unexpected feelings. 

It took me a while to get into the story or feel invested in the characters, not unusual with book one of a series. There's a fair amount of set-up and introductions to dispense with before we really get into the meat of the journey. By the end of the first third of the book, however, I had developed an emotional attachment to both Ethan and Heloise. These two are the heartbeat of the romance in this book, both carrying some deep emotional baggage. Their physical connection is steamy and fast but Britton takes her time developing their emotional connection in a realistic and wholly satisfying way. 

The mystery portion of the book is well crafted with more than a few red herrings and surprise twists along the way. It kept me guessing, settling upon then discarding various theories right up until the big reveal. I love when an author keeps me from figuring things out too soon.

There's a sizeable ensemble supporting cast in this book, with characters from both the Widow's Society and Ethan's gaming club, Dionysus that I'm hopeful we'll see more of in future books. The relationships that are explored in both establishments, both new ones among the widows and lifelong bonds among Ethan and his family/friends/business partners, are instrumental in the individual growth of Ethan and Heloise as well as their romantic relationship as a couple. 

All in all, this was a solid first book in what has the potential to be another romantic, adventure-filled, highly satisfying series by Christina Britton. I'm already eager to discover what she has in store for readers next and who will step into the spotlight in book two. 

Tour Review - - The Librarians

The Librarians

by Sherry Thomas

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: September 30, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

Sometimes a workplace isn’t just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge....

In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don’t always realize that their librarians are human, too.

Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won't be enough anymore.

When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night, the librarians’ quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library—and themselves—is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together....

All in a day’s work.

PJ's Thoughts:

Having read Sherry Thomas's historical romances, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from this new, standalone, cozy mystery. What I discovered were characters who engaged my interest, a mystery twisty enough to keep me guessing, and a satisfying conclusion that would lead me to read more of this type of book by Thomas. 

There are four main characters in this novel, all of whom work at a small neighborhood library branch in Austin, Texas. Over the course of the story, we learn about each of them in present-day scenes as well as flashbacks, all told from each individual's point of view. That much head-hopping can easily become confusing, especially when the characters are also interacting with one another as well as secondary characters but I felt the author handled the flow well. There were a couple times when I had to re-read a few pages to make sure I was in the right timeframe of the story but those were few. 

The author takes her time setting the stage for both the mystery portion of the book as well as the individual stories of the main characters. I engaged with some of the main characters earlier than others but by the end of the book, I was wholly invested in all four. The pace set by the author with each main character gradually revealing their secrets to the others feels authentic and relatable, also allowing me, the reader, to get to know them more intimately as they slowly come to know one another. I will say that if you're an impatient reader, you will need to call on some patience for the first third of the book as it moves at a relatively slow pace while the stage is set for the mystery and we get to know the characters. It wasn't an issue for me but it may be for others.  

The mystery is an important part of the book but there is also a bit of second-chance romance for two of the main characters (I was pulling for both couples) and some heartbreak along the way for another. The mystery itself is very well crafted, with several surprises that kept me guessing. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, the story zagged in an entirely different direction, keeping me eagerly flipping pages right up until the end. 

If you're into cozy mysteries with relatable characters, a well crafted storyline, and a satisfying payoff at the end, all wrapped up in well-loved books and community at the local library, give this one a chance. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Coming Attractions - - October 2025

 

It's the spooky month! 

Welcome to October, the month of colorful leaves, cooler temperatures, football (always a favorite in my house), fall festivals, and, of course, ghosties, goblins, and witches. It's going to be a busy month here at The Romance Dish with seventeen books featured.  Yes, that is a lot of reading but we're up for it...we hope! 

Getting things started on Friday, October 3 will be a tour review of The Librarians by Sherry Thomas. I'm halfway through this immersive novel featuring four library employees, their individual stories, and the twisty mystery in which they become embroiled. I'm finding it hard to put down. 

We're going back in time on Monday, October 6 with a review of To Heist and to Hold by Christina Britton. This first book in Britton's Wimpole Street Widows Society historical romance series pits a widow on her first mission against a casino owner who may - or may not - be the enemy. 

Join Santa on Tuesday, October 7 when she shares her thoughts about My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely. Gear up for billionaire boss, single dad, fake dating, holiday fun! 

Sarah Morgan's holiday books are ones I look forward to every year. Join me on Wednesday, October 8 for my review of A Merry Little Lie. There are plenty of secrets, announcements, and surprises when the Balfours gather for a snowy family Christmas. 

The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter is a heartwarming, second-chance, small-town romance that took me by surprise when I started recognizing details about where the story is set and realized it's where I used to live! Don't miss my review of this sweet but emotional story on Friday, October 10.

We're going back to Shelter Springs on Monday, October 13 with another heart-tugging, holiday romance in Snow Kissed by RaeAnne Thayne. This deeply emotional story is sure to tug at heartstrings as it delivers a heartfelt happily ever after. 

Dragon shifters for the win! Join me on Tuesday, October 14 for a review of A Scar in the Bone, book two in Sophie Jordan's A Fire in the Sky romantasy series. I loved book one and can hardly wait to dive into this second installment. 

A marriage is in trouble and a husband has one month to convince his wife that he deserves a second chance to change his workaholic ways. Stop by on Wednesday, October 15 to read my review of the emotional, uplifting, and sometimes humorous Date Night in December by Jaqueline Snowe. 

On Thursday, October 16, I'll be sharing my thoughts about Diana Quincy's The Earl That Got Away. Quincy is an auto-buy for me and I'm looking forward to this second-chance romance between an Arab-American woman and the British man whose heart she was forced to break many years earlier. 

Join me on Friday, October 17 for a review of Sheila Roberts' The Man Next Door. This multi-generation women's fiction novel gives readers relatable characters, snappy dialog, a bit of a mystery, and a second chance at love. 

Monday, October 20 brings a review of the newest Kate Meader hockey romance: Rebel Bride. This second generation series is proving to be steamy, emotional, humorous, and a whole lot of fun. 

Christi Caldwell is back with a new book in her McQuoid family historical romance series. This one bubbles over with betrayal, danger, vengeance, complicated family relationships, and unexpected romance. Join me on Tuesday, October 21 for a review of The Captain. 

It's time for cyber suspense and emotional romance on Friday, October 24 when I review Operation Blackout by Maria Lokken. This second book in Lokken's Harlequin Romantic Suspense series kept me reading late into the night. 

It will be getting witchy around here on Monday, October 27 when I share my thoughts about Witches of Honeysuckle House by Liz Parker. Parker's debut, In the Shadow Garden was my favorite book of 2022 so I am really looking forward to diving into this newest story. 

Santa will be back on Wednesday, October 29 with a review of Pickle Perfect by Ilana Long. This contemporary romcom offers up second chances for a thirty-something single mom and her former high school fling, the current bad boy of the pickle ball courts. 

Thursday, October 30 brings the conclusion of Belle Calhoune's Moose Falls, Alaska trilogy with Forever in Alaska. Get ready for lots of emotion in this workplace, fake-dating romance with strong family dynamics. 

We wrap up the month on Friday, October 31 with the appropriately witchy Witches of Dubious Origin by Jenn McKinlay. What happens when a quiet New England librarian discovers she's the last descendant in a family of witches and must decode the family spell book to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother and grandmother? I can't wait to find out!

What books are on your reading radar this month?

Review - - Outlaw Lake

Outlaw Lake

by MaiseyYates

Rustler Mountain - Book 2

Publisher: Kensington

Release Date: September 30, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

True to their family name, the Wilders of historic Rustler Mountain, Oregon, have an outlaw lineage and a wild nature to match. But when it comes to love, an untamed heart might know best . . .

Carson Wilder and Perry Bramble have been best friends forever, starting with their painful childhoods. As far as romance, Carson always knew he wasn’t good enough for her. And by the time they were grown, their bond was too important to risk messing up. Now, Carson is grieving the death of his wife. And like always, Perry is his rock. He can’t imagine life without her. But he may have to.

Perry has loved Carson since she was 7 years old. He never showed a hint of interest in her beyond friendship, but two-plus decades later, he’s still the most important person in her life. Maybe too important. Inspired by the diary of an ancestor who left everything behind to come west as a mail order bride, Perry stuns Carson with a decision: She’s moving to a neighboring city to expand her florist business—and to find love and start a family.

Carson hates the idea, but he’ll do anything for Perry’s happiness. He’ll even help get her historic home fixed up for sale. She can stay with him at his ranch house on Outlaw Lake in the meantime. What ensues are dinners filled with laughter, dating app disasters—and Carson wondering why he’d look for another woman when the one he loves is right here. His answers may lie in the letters he finds from the man who married the mail order bride. . . . But can he finally gather the courage to be true to his wild heart—before it's too late?

PJ's Thoughts:

It's not an exaggeration to say that the strong bond between Carson and Perry is what got them through unstable childhoods, teenage confusion, and long-distance separations. It even got them through Carson's ill-advised relationship and Perry's broken heart because of it. Nothing has ever broken their friendship but they've reached a crossroads, at least Perry has. Something has to give and her decision to move away will either be the straw that breaks their bond or the incentive to forge a new path toward happiness, not heartbreak.

Maisey Yates' stories always take me on an emotional journey but Outlaw Lake takes that experience to a new level. So many feelings with these two. They really put me through the wringer. Both Carson and Perry are multi-layered characters with significant emotional baggage. Yates has crafted them beautifully, showing the many layers that impact their choices, their feelings, and their fears. I felt as if I knew each of them personally, experienced their emotional upheavals and struggles with a visceral fierceness, and could not have pulled more strongly for them to make it as a couple. They made it impossible not to invest myself in their happiness with my whole heart. 

Each chapter of the book opens with an entry from the diary of Perry's ancestor, a mail-order bride who wed a widower and suffered the same unrequited love that Perry has dealt with for years. The two couples, living more than 100 years apart, share journeys that parallel one another in significant ways with the words of both Mae and her husband opening hearts and minds in present day in unexpected ways. I loved these entries and enjoyed the perspective and rich texture they added to Carson's and Perry's story.

As with book one of this series, Yates surrounds the main couple with family members and local citizens who both support and challenge the lead characters. It was fun getting to know Carson's siblings better (their books are coming) as well as a brother and sister from a rival "outlaw" family in town (I have hopes for both of them!). 

If you're looking for a friends-to-lovers, contemporary romance with complex characters, family dynamics, strong emotional depth, and hard-won happy endings, give Outlaw Lake a try. I highly recommend it as well as book one in the series, Rustler Mountain (Carson's brother Austin and Millie, the town librarian - click to read my review). 

Review - - Last on the List

Last on the List

by Amy Daws

Wait with Me - Book 5

Publisher: Canary Street Press

Release Date: September 30, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

 

Only a bad nanny knows what it’s like to kiss the boss.

CEO millionaire Max Fletcher is a single dad in desperate need of a nanny.

Cozy Barlow is in the middle of her self-appointed “gap year” and doing everything she can to detach from her past.

But when her sister begs her to interview for the nanny position of a high-maintenance client, she doesn’t have a good enough reason to say no.

And when Max locks eyes on the twentysomething in tie-dye who pitches the idea of daydreaming all summer, he prepares to give this bad nanny the boot.

One problem: Max’s little girl thinks this "plus-size in body and spirit" nanny might be her new bestie, so she hires her on the spot.

Now Max is stuck with a woman who hates everything he represents—corporate greed, money, status, power.

But one stormy night when the power goes out, he discovers Cozy doesn’t hate him. In fact, he’s the leading role in her fantasies.

Fantasies he would very much like to make a reality.

PJ's Thoughts:

I pretty much smiled through this entire book. I mean, come on, pair a by-the-book, single-dad billionaire with a big-hearted, taking-a-career-break, more-than-she-seems Nanny. Add forced proximity, sparkling banter, sizzling attraction, humor, fun, emotional depth, and steam for days. Then, just for kicks, top it with an 11-year-old matchmaker, meddling brothers and friends, plus growing feelings, and Max and Cozy just might have the perfect recipe for their very own happily ever after. 

I prefer to read a series in order. In the case of Last on the List, however, I did things backwards. While this is book five in the Wait with Me series, it is also the prequel to the Mountain Men Matchmaker series. I have not read the first four books in the Wait with Me series and I have read the first three books in the Mountain Men Matchmaker series (which feature Max, Cozy, and Everly as secondary but important characters several years later). I'm happy to say that this did not impair my level of enjoyment one bit. After meeting Max's friends, I will definitely be picking up their books. As far as his "Mountain Men" brothers, it was fun to go back in time and read the origin story of their beloved niece and personal matchmaker, Everly. Wherever you are in the reading order of either series, Last on the List stands well on its own and has my enthusiastic recommendation. 

Note: If this book sounds familiar there's a chance you may have read it as an indie digital release.